Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (the Condon Report, complete, three volumes)

extraordinary, caused reports of UFOs having s'lch impressive features
that our field teams investigated. Such a case was IS , in which the
ob5crver reported evening ohservations of a green light as large
a" a two-story building, sometimes round and sometimes oblong, which
landed several times per week S-:?O mi. to the west of his house.
He reported having seen through binoculars two rows of windows on
a dome-shaped object that seemed to have jets firing fromthe bottom
anL! that lit up a very large sur1'ounding area. 'DlC motion was always
a very gradual descent to the western horizon, were the object would
"land" and shortly thereafter "cut off i t~~ 1igh ts." Our in-
vestigators found this gentleman watching the planet VenL's, then
about 15 0 above the wes tern hori Z,)l1. He agreed that the 1igh t now
looked like a planet, and, had he not seen the object on other occasions
\~hcn it looked closer and lar~er, he would not have known it was
really an UFU.
LQht diffusion and scintillation effects (sec Section VI,
Chapter 4) \,'ere also responsiblc for early morning UFO observations,
and Venus was again most frequently the unknc'.';ing culpdt. Case 37, as
initially reported to us, was a particularly exciting event, for not
only had numerous law enforcement officers in neighboring communities
observed, chased, and been chased by an UFO of imprc3sive description,
but, according to the report, the pi lot of a small ai rcraft sent
aloft to chasl. the lIFO had watchedi t rise from the swamp and fly
directly away from him at such s!wpd that he \~as unable to gain on it
in the chase. Both the light pI anc and the unidenti fied object,
according to the initial repol't, wer(! observed on the local Air
Traffic Control radar s'~rccn. According to the descriptions,
the object llisplayed vari ous and changing colors and shapes. Appearing
as big as tht' moon in th\.' sk>', it onel' stoprcd about 500 ft. above
a police car, lighting up the surroulH.l1ngs so bdghtly that the officers
Llside the car could read their \~rist watches. As indicated in
93
extraordinary, caused reports of lIros havin~ s'lch impressive features
that OUT field teams investigated. Such a case was l~ , in which the
obo;crver reported evening observations of a green light as ldrge
ao; a two-story building, sometimes round and sometimes oblong, which
landed several times per week S-:)O mi. to the west of his house.
He reported having seen through binoculars two rows of windows on
a dome-shaped object that seemed to have jets firing fromthe bottom
Bnu that lit up a very la:cge sur 1'ounding area. 'nlC motion was always
a very gradual descent to the western horizon, were the object would
"land" and shortly th;oreafter "cut off it~~ lights." Our in-
vc"tigators found this gc.mtleman watching the planet Vent-'s, then
about IS' above the western horiz')l1. Ile agreed that the light now
looked like a planet, and, had he not seen the object on other occasions
v,hell it looked closP!' and lar~['r, he would not have known it was
really an UFU.
Lcht diffusion and sc1ntillatioll effects (sec Section VI,
Chapter 41 \,'cre also responsible for early morning UFO observations,
and Venus was again most frequently the Ilnkno',':lng culprit. Case 37, as
initially reported to us, was a particularly exciting event, for not
only had numerous law enforcement officers in ne i ghb ori ng communities
observed, chased, and been chased by an UFO of impre3sive description,
but, according to the report, the pilot of a small ai rcraft sent
aloft to chasL the liFO had watched it rise from the swamp and fly
directly away from him at such spe('d that 11\~ \/as unable to gain on it
1n the chase, Hoth the light pl ane and the unident i fied object,
according to the initial repol't, were observ~d on the local Air
Traffic Contrul rad;lr s'.rCCTl. According to the descriptions,
the object ,lisplaveo vari ous ano changing colors and shapes. Appearing
as bi g as tht' mool\ i n th~' 51<>', it on c~' s t oppc\l al> au t SO() ft. ab ave
a pcdicc car, lighting up th(' surroundings so brightly that the offi<..ers
idside the car could read their \~rigt watches. As indicated i.n
93